Butternut Squash
by mrp1998
Summary: Rose and the Doctor have settled into normal life after Bad Wolf Bay- and they've discovered that it's the little things that make life so interesting.


Rose was tired. And hot. And covered in dirt.

As much as she loved working in the garden, it was hard work, and in the summer in the pressing heat it wasn't much fun.

The Doctor apparently didn't feel the same way, since he was running through the rows of plants with enough energy to power a small car. He was pointing out the different crops as he went, telling Rose all about each one, their growing season, whether they preferred the sun or the shade, and how they were best eaten.

Many of the plants were nearing their harvest time, but today Rose and the Doctor were harvesting one specific plant- butternut squash.

They would sell or give away most of their produce, but they always kept some for themselves. The Doctor wasn't too excited about having butternut squash, since he was unsure of how they actually tasted. Rose just thought he was being silly, "After all, you'll never know how you like it if you never try it," she'd tell him.

So the Doctor and Rose slaved away in the hot sunshine, telling stories and chatting as they took out knives and gently sawed the squash off of their plants, and putting the long, golden-orange plants into a few five-gallon buckets they'd brought to tow the squash in.

After a couple of hours in the garden, all of the squash had been harvested and put into the back of the old pickup truck that the Doctor liked to use for hauling things and doing outdoor chores. He and Rose piled into the pickup, brushing the dirt off their clothes and laughing at the mud and smudges that they'd managed to collect.

They made their way to their house, a small, but cozy three bedroom house that sat on the far corner of Rose's father, Pete's, property. They had built the house shortly after they'd gotten married, which had happened after a long and tenuous relationship that sort-of began on Bad Wolf Bay, and had blossomed into a faithful and true love for each other.

At the house, Rose helped the Doctor unload the squash, taking in a few to be cooked for dinner while the Doctor stayed out for a while, putting all the buckets of squash in the garage.

When he walked into the house, he was hit by the fragrant smell of garden-fresh butternut squash being sauteed in butter and salt and pepper, along with a big bowl of pasta to go along with it. He kissed Rose on the cheek as he walked to the sink to wash his hands, remarking on how good dinner smelled.

Once eveything was cooked, they sat down at the kitchen table, pasta and squash piled onto their colorful plates, and Rose dug into her food immediately, while the Doctor just stared at it as though it was a challenge he wasn't sure he wanted to compete in.

Rose noticed, and told him with a roll of her eyes, "Oh come on. You're going to like it, Doctor. Just try it. Take one little bite."

He stared at it apprehensively for a moment more before he set his features with determination, picked up his fork, speared a bite of squash, and ate it.

A few moments passed with Rose watching him intently, but he didn't say anything, his expression unreadable.

"Well?" She said impatiently, a slight smile on her lips.

"That was..." the Doctor paused, "unbelieveably delicious!"

He leapt up from the table and ran to the stove with his plate, eager to get more squash, and came back with a small mountain of it, while Rose laughed whole-heartedly at his childishness, and gave him a fond peck on the cheek.

Smiling widely at him, she told him happily, "Don't ever change."

The Doctor just smiled as best as he could with a mouth full of squash and pasta.

They spent the rest of their evening planning to add additions to the garden, the Doctor telling Rose that they simply had to share such magnificent foods with all other people, and how they should try more kinds of squash and how he'd heard that there was even one called spaghetti squash and, oh, Rose, doesn't that sound lovely?


End file.
